Athlete & Fitness Coach, Alena Valastnykh

Athlete & Fitness Coach, Alena Valastnykh

Hi! My name is Alena. I’m from Belarus but living in Milan for many years.

Photo: Umberto Cairoli

What is your proudest achievement so far?

My proudest achievement is my book. My book is about me and my journey from the Fashion to Fitness Industry. As you can understand from the tittle ‘From Bulimic to Fitness Model’, I haven’t been fit and healthy. I used to work as a model and to be able to maintain that skinny model body type my primal goal used to be eat as less as possible. That’s how I become sick. I’ve been suffering from Eating Disorder called Bulimia Nervosa for almost 6 years. Bulimia caused me huge health damage but especially psychological issues such a depression.

One day I really decided that I couldn’t handle it any more. I had to quit my model’s job in order to heal my self. And I did it. I beat Bulimia by my own which I’m really proud of. My metabolism was really slow, and almost stopped. I’ve gain lots of weight during my first year after recovery. I felt really unhappy and couldn’t even look at my self on the mirror. But I deny to vomit, stay on FAD diet or doing anything crazy again to my body. Instead I’ve started to learn about nutrition and weight training. That’s in a few words how I became fitness coach and athlete. As Buddhists say, I transformed poison into remedy.

Can you share with us your workout regime and what it’s like?

I’m an athlete. My year is divided by 3 phases:

Competition phase: bulking

Competition phase: shredding

Off-season

Each phase has different training routine and diet. Generally I train 6-7 days / week. I’m back dominant so for my upper part, I train just one or two times a week. High reps and lower weights focusing on maintaining muscles.

Bigger legs and rounded glutes are my main focus. I train my lower part 3 times a week dividing by anterior and posterior parts and different muscles groups. This manner, I can see great shape changes.

Photo: Umberto Cairoli

Do you allow yourself any guilty indulgences for food?

Oh yes I do. I’m not a great supporter of a ‘so called’ a cheat meal. To me fitness is a lifestyle so I really enjoy eating well balanced healthy meals incorporated with my training routine but I’m a lover of good red wine. In Italy we’ve got incredible wine. It feels so good in the end of the hard working week seating in some cozy bar or restaurant and enjoying 1-2 glasses of perfect red in a good company.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I don’t have much free time. I really love what I do. Fitness has fulfilled all parts of my life. I run my own studio passionately training my clients. I coach people online as well. My boyfriend is coach and athlete so in our free time we train together. But as I said I’m really happy to lead this lifestyle and being surrounded by like-minded people.

Photo: Marc Evans

What type of music do you enjoy listening to?

I love different types of music. House, deep house, soul, R&B, hip hop, chillout. All good music is worth to listen.

Photo: Marc Evans

Is there something you like to do but haven’t had the time to do so yet?

Traveling. In my past working as a model, I used to travel really a lot. Now I’d love to travel more but I’ve got a busy working schedule.

What is a funny or lame attempt a guy has tried to know you?

I’m very loud when I’m training. I push myself really hard so sometimes I scream as a monkey. That’s how I’ve met my boyfriend. I was screaming under leg press and he came to me saying he was called by nature offering to scream together as it’s good manner to train. That he’s actually never seen or let’s say heard a girl like this before. That was funny.

Photo: Umberto Cairoli

It is a pleasure to feature you Alena. One question before we end, how do you define “sexy”?

My pleasure being interviewed by you. It’s very simple and I can define ‘sexy’ is in just one word, CONFIDENT.